Mike Fletcher, Actor/Writer/Producer

Revenge of the 6th

Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate.

American actor, director, producer and screenwriter Orson Welles was born on this day in 1915 (died 1985).

So, I asked myself this morning, now that he’s the presumptive nominee…and the answer is still no, I cannot.

I. Will. Not.

Not now. Not ever.

I will not vote for Donald Trump.

Predictably the Republican establishment is falling in line. Tuesday night just as the results from Indiana were known, RNC Chair Reince Priebus tweeted:

Of course he did.

There’s an old gospel hymn called “Back in the Fold.” (no not the Johnny Cash song).

It’s based on the lost sheep when the shepherd left 99 safe in the fold and went searching for the one. When the sheep is found it’s considered “back in the fold.” Look up the story. It will do you good. The song talks about returning to the faith, much as Republicans are being called to return to the party.

I’ll be so disappointed if nobody sings that in Cleveland this summer.

Granted, there are Republican operatives who are jumping ship to support Hillary Clinton. I’ve told you before, if the choice is between the two better a common “enemy” than someone who pretends to be a friend.

For the record, while I thought of it, I won’t vote for Hillary either.

I won’t stay home like the evangelicals who wouldn’t vote for a Mormon. I’ll vote. But I’ll have to find an acceptable third party candidate.

Now available in The Write Side Shop (click the pic).

I used to think that was throwing away a vote. Way back in 1992 when I was not fond of George H.W. Bush, but couldn’t quite vote for Bill my wife and I both briefly considered voting for the Libertarian candidate…because we knew his vice presidential pick. Separately, in the voting booth, we both had the same consideration and then pulled the lever for Bush. We all know how that turned out.

I don’t have time to list all the reasons I won’t vote for Trump. I’ve listed some. And, if you’ve known me long at all you know why I won’t vote for Hillary.

I’m not sure what my choice is, but I’ll be casting a vote for someone in whom I can believe. As my friend Shaun said over at Bearing Drift:

When I said I would not vote for Donald Trump, I meant it. As a Catholic, my conscience cannot assent to Donald Trump’s platform. As a conservative, my conscience inimically resists the idea of supporting someone who opposes everything Reagan believed in, fought for, sacrificed for. What Trump wants is not the shining city on a hill; it is Fortress America.

I’m not sure who said it, but it’s very true. The lesser of two evils is still evil.

Your perception of evil may vary depending on where your seat is in the bleachers. But there’s nothing pretty on the field.

The Republican Party hasn’t spoken for me in in quite a while. I think I’m finally off of the RNC mailing lists and most of the email is now officially going to spam.

It was Ronald Reagan who said “I didn’t leave the Democratic party, the Democratic party left me.”

Just take a look at what happened at last weekend’s Virginia Republican Convention. It wasn’t pretty. The Richmond Times-Dispatch put it this way:

Polls suggest significant percentages believe the nomination process in both parties is rigged. Virginia adds fuel to the fire.

In the convention hysteria, former Governor Jim Gilmore was denied a chance to be a delegate to the Cleveland convention.

But that’s not the story here. It’s a symptom of the larger story.

I don’t know if Priebus can bring unity back to the GOP. I’m not sure it deserves it. He won’t be bringing me back.

How did we get to this place? I had a friend ask on Facebook:

Out of 319,000,000 people in the U.S., we can’t come up with any better candidates to be our elected leader? God help us…

Maybe it started with 9/11. Maybe it started with the internet. Maybe it started with microwave popcorn.

Actually, it started in the Garden of Eden.

It’s just that, unlike Adam and Eve we’re not ashamed of our sin and our nakedness. We Instagram them.

I don’t want to turn this into a theology discussion, but I have to admit I don’t see how my fellow Christians can support Trump, but many are. I’ve told you before I’m not calling for a theocracy. For the record, I also don’t see how Christians can be pro-abortion. But I know many are.

We each have to assess our own values and decide what choice we can make, and what choice we can live with.

I can’t live with either of the two major choices. Oh sure, I’ll have to accept one of them.